Olympians will take torch to home towns

British Olympians past and present will be offered the chance to carry the Olympic torch through their home towns before the 2012 Games.

Games chiefs are planning to involve as many as possible of the 2,300 Olympians in the torch relay around Britain in the month before the event.

Five-time gold-medallist rower Sir Steve Redgrave could carry the flame through his home town of Marlow, while 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu and triple jumper Phillips Idowu could take it along the streets of Stratford and Hackney respectively.

But Olympics chiefs have abandoned the global torch tour, after the last one was marred by anti-China protests before the 2008 Beijing Games.